Archive of Our Own ^beta

The room was dark. Moonlight filtered in softly through the blinds that covered the windows and filled the air with a gentle glow. Everything was still; there were no abrupt movements or loud noises to shatter the peaceful atmosphere that had settled into the space. A low hum drifted down from the air conditioning to float across pillows and blankets before trailing cool fingertips over hot skin. The only other disturbance in the room was the deep, even breathing of the two figures lying on the bed; two figures that were intertwined so closely, there appeared to be only a single person.

They were facing each other, both heads resting on a shared pillow, hands locked together between them, and legs tangled underneath the sheets. Every so often, one of them would gently squeeze the other’s hand or use a free finger to lightly trace shapes into the other’s skin, simple actions that conveyed magnitudes of unspoken affection. It was late and the relentless pull of sleep was almost overwhelming, but Sapnap dragged open his eyelids just enough to look at the boy across from him, feeling a soft smile spread slowly across his features as he did so.

A mess of chestnut curls was spread across the pillow, a brunette halo silhouetting the face of someone who looked nothing less than angelic. The faint light of the moon illuminated pale skin, revealing hidden freckles that were dotted haphazardly across slightly flushed cheeks. Unable to stop himself, Sapnap reached out with his free hand and used his thumb to rub gently across the other’s cheekbone before moving it down to cup his jaw, continuing to massage slow circles into soft skin. He felt a smile lift against his hand and the other boy’s eyes opened sleepily, revealing swirling storms hidden in cloudy gray irises.

“What’re you doin’?” Karl’s voice came out muffled and gravelly with sleep, a sound that Sapnap wanted to pluck from the air and tuck into a box to hold close to his heart.

“Jus’ lookin’ at you,” he replied, as if he was not talking to the most breathtaking person that he had ever had the pleasure to gaze upon.

Karl seemed unaware of his effortless beauty and simply closed his eyes again, dark lashes fluttering down over fair cheeks. He squeezed Sapnap’s hand, wiggling his fingers slightly where they tangled with the other boy’s. “You’re an idiot.”

Sapnap chuckled softly and moved his head forward slowly to press a lazy kiss against his boyfriend’s lips, savoring the taste of the tired smile that rested there. He pulled away and nudged his nose against the other’s before gently resting their foreheads together.

“Yeah, but ’m your idiot.”

It was Karl’s turn to laugh, letting out a quiet giggle that echoed with the sound of windchimes dancing in a warm summer breeze. He lifted their intertwined hands to press gentle kisses to the ridges of Sapnap’s knuckles.

“‘mkay nimrod,” Karl mumbled, scooting closer to Sapnap and nuzzling his face into the crook of the shorter boy’s neck. “‘nd ‘m glad you’re my idiot. But shut up, ‘m tryin' to sleep.”

Warm breath fanned over Sapnap’s skin and he moved the hand that had been cradling Karl’s face down to rest lightly on the curve of his hip, pulling their bodies flush against each other. He felt Karl’s fingers slip from his own, immediately missing the touch, before small hands reached around to press against his back, tracing small shapes and patterns into the thin fabric of his t-shirt.

“Noooo,” Sapnap whined against the top of Karl’s head, pressing a light kiss into chocolate curls. “Don’ sleep now, tha’s no fun.”

Karl hummed sleepily in response. “‘nd what’re you gonna do about it?”

“‘m just gonna keep talkin’ ’nd you’ll have to stay awake.”

Karl moved to press his lips into Sapnap’s neck, letting a buzzing sensation tingle across the exposed skin there as he replied with another quiet hum.

“Wha’s your favorite Christmas movie?” Sapnap mumbled into his boyfriend’s hair.

“Tha’s a stupid question, you know it’s Elf.”

“‘mkay fine, then ask me a better question.”

“Wha’s your favorite cereal?”

Sapnap smiled. “Mmm, that is good question.”

“I know,” the other boy replied, lightly but insistently tapping Sapnap’s back with his fingers. “Now answer it.”

Sapnap lifted a hand to trail unconsciously through the thick curls at the base of Karl’s neck as he thought about his answer.

“Probably Frosted Flakes, can’t go wrong with those,” he answered.

“Those were a vacation cereal for me,” Karl offered, moving his hands down to press into the small of Sapnap’s back.

“What on earth is a vacation cereal?” Sapnap said with a quiet chuckle.

“Y’know when you would go on vacation and the hotel would have breakfast? Frosted Flakes were always the cereal I would get. So, a vacation cereal.”

Sapnap smiled and nodded. “Makes sense.”

Karl hummed again. “Your turn.”

“‘mkay, favorite pizza toppings?”

“There you go, that’s a better question.”

The two went back and forth for hours, talking about everything and nothing all at once. Their hands found their way everywhere; resting on arms, pressing into backs, carding through hair, reaching everything that they could. There was nothing inherently sexual about their touches, they simply could not bear to be apart from each other. The two were connected both physically and emotionally, an infinitely strong bond stretching between them that held tight, and neither of them wanted the moment to end. Time was fluid and nonexistent, nothing more than a concept that was irrelevant to the two lovers as they lay in the dark and exchanged quiet whispers.

When the need to sleep finally became too powerful and their eyelids fell shut for the final time that night, or rather early that next morning, they descended swiftly into the land of dreams together. And when they awoke, they found themselves still completely intertwined, not just with their arms and legs, but with their heart and soul.